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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — to tire
  3. last — finally
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. scale — in music
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. last — final
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — to go on
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com